Today is special because it is a birthday for one of us…..a milestone one at that. He also shares a birthday with Holland America Lines which turned 153 years old. We can say they are a lot older than Bill…..by a lot. It would turn out to be a very good day beginning with four balloons on the door and a large birthday greeting from the staff taped on the door also.
It was cold with temperatures in the high 30’s. The humidity remained high at 96% because there seems to be fog early in the morning. The winds were 28 mph with 7-foot sea swells. The Volendam was maintaining a speed of 18 knots, maybe to make up the three hours we lost yesterday leaving late from Hakodate.
With the chilly weather, it was a good time to stay inside and work online. We have noticed a slow-down with the internet speed, depending on the size of the files we send. It had been announced more than a week ago to expect such slowdowns. Not so long ago, we would have had no reception in this northern part of the world. Starlink helped solve that problem.
The afternoon was filled with calls of birthday greetings from the front desk folks as well as cards from Florin, Jonah and Kumar. A tray of chocolate candies and another with the special moist cupcake with a card from Captain Frank were brought from room service waiter, Agus. What a day. Again, so much for trying to keep the birthday quiet. No such thing on this ship.
The Captain came on with his update at noon saying we had 2541 nautical miles to reach Kodiak with higher seas and winds tomorrow. The swells were expected to increase to 13.5 feet and the wind increasing as well. With a low pressure system building, the most northern route was better to take. Sunset would be 6:30pm and sunrise 5am. The time change would occur again at noontime, going ahead one hour. This will be repeated for several days until we will not know what meal we are eating. Lunch will be dinnertime, and dinner will be midnight or later technically. No matter which direction we set the clocks, it wreaks havoc on the body’s functions, and more so, the sleep patterns.
Today there was a scavenger hunt, an egg toss challenge and a ship drawing contest. Fire & Ice was the subject of a lecture by Christine Sandvik, while Gregory Burns spoke on brushstrokes of Japan living. We had another invite to a regional wine tasting at 1:30pm but did not attend. It was worth $35 per person, but we don’t drink wine. Thanks anyway.
We were surprised to see another fine sunset, even though brief, it is always good to watch and share with you all.
The special treat was going to dinner in the Pinnace Grill. It happened to be a dressy night, so that made it a bit more special. Much to our surprise, we were about the only diners at our usual table by the receiving desk. There was a dinner happening in the back room, which included Captain Frank had his wife Alexandra. A few officers may have joined their table.
Our meal began with wedge salads, of course, with the bacon on the side. The assorted rolls and garlic butter are always good with the salads. One of us ordered the lamb chops and the other took a chance and tried the alternate ribeye steak that was marinated in soy and grilled almost crispy. Served medium rare, the steak was sliced into four sections and had to be one of the best pieces of meat I tasted so far this trip. We both added one baked potato with toppings, but when it came to dessert and the macaroons, we passed on it. Naturally, the waiters came with the round birthday cake which was more mousse than cake. They quietly sang happy birthday too. Knowing we were full, our waiter wrapped the cake in foil and we took it home. It will be a treat for lunch tomorrow.
The show tonight was Magic & Contortion called White Magic. Michael White, a UK magician, took the stage with Hulan, a circus performer, for a unique show with magic, illusion, and contortion. Now that’s a different twist. Literally.
Back in our room, we found more GWV gifts of two rolled duffels and two sets of zippered packing bags…..a reminder we will have to start thinking about packing soon, a job that neither of us relishes. Simply thinking about it is enough for now. And thanks to our excellent room stewards, we found a birthday cake created from towels complete with ribbons, as well as two little boxes of Le Belge Chocolatier treats.
So much for a special day, our first one of seven at sea.
Bill & Mary Ann
